Shells - non-blocking?

[David Bovill]

To shell() is a blocking command...

Given that you can "do anything" with the shell.... anyone knwo of a
techniqu to call a hell command in that background - perrhaps with a
shell command... screnn something like that?

I want to call the shell command and let the user get on with other
gui stuff... wouldn't it be nice to have:

   put shell("something really slow") with message "doneIT" ?